05.09.2016
LA BOHÈME: The life of an artist.
Mikhail Tatarnikov
The characters in La Bohème are young and talented, with a love of life that they expect to be reciprocated. The same can be said for almost everyone involved in the upcoming production of the opera at the Mikhailovsky Theatre. Listening to a few of the artists talk freely about it, the personal relationship that they have with the characters and with the story that they will be performing on stage becomes clear.
In the words of Mikhail Tatarnikov, Musical Director and Principal Conductor of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, who is leading the orchestra in this production:
"La Bohème occupies a special place in my heart, for two reasons. Firstly, because I decided to become a conductor after hearing a recording of La Bohème conducted by Herbert von Karajan. When I got up the following morning, I decided that I wanted to be a conductor, and I was sure that I too would conduct La Bohème one day. I have told this story many times before. I don’t know why it happened, but it provided an impetus for me.
«When I was still young, a student at the Conservatory, I took part in a production of La Bohème at the Mariinsky Theatre. We were all very young, single and unattached. A lot of love stories played out back then; just as it should be to maintain our connection to the opera. It’s not that I want to go back there, to return to my youth — I am still quite young really — but I remember those days with such fondness. They are wonderful memories and I treasure them dearly. It was the perfect youth to provide wonderful memories: we fell in love, read poetry, gathered in a large group at someone’s house and stayed until the morning. Those charming moments will stay with me forever.
«Secondly, I have been to Paris many times. I go often and am going again soon. It is a fine city. But I would gladly swap all of my trips for just a single one: to the Paris of that time. The Paris that Murger wrote about in his novel and Puccini in his opera; the Paris of the Impressionists, of Monet, Renoir, and Cezanne. It seems to me that the city has changed beyond all recognition; this shift began in the mid-twentieth century, and now something has broken. Back then, it was a refuge for young people who were poor yet talented, creative, with a passion for life. Now that is all gone, and I am infinitely sorry.»
In the words of Mikhail Tatarnikov, Musical Director and Principal Conductor of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, who is leading the orchestra in this production:
"La Bohème occupies a special place in my heart, for two reasons. Firstly, because I decided to become a conductor after hearing a recording of La Bohème conducted by Herbert von Karajan. When I got up the following morning, I decided that I wanted to be a conductor, and I was sure that I too would conduct La Bohème one day. I have told this story many times before. I don’t know why it happened, but it provided an impetus for me.
«When I was still young, a student at the Conservatory, I took part in a production of La Bohème at the Mariinsky Theatre. We were all very young, single and unattached. A lot of love stories played out back then; just as it should be to maintain our connection to the opera. It’s not that I want to go back there, to return to my youth — I am still quite young really — but I remember those days with such fondness. They are wonderful memories and I treasure them dearly. It was the perfect youth to provide wonderful memories: we fell in love, read poetry, gathered in a large group at someone’s house and stayed until the morning. Those charming moments will stay with me forever.
«Secondly, I have been to Paris many times. I go often and am going again soon. It is a fine city. But I would gladly swap all of my trips for just a single one: to the Paris of that time. The Paris that Murger wrote about in his novel and Puccini in his opera; the Paris of the Impressionists, of Monet, Renoir, and Cezanne. It seems to me that the city has changed beyond all recognition; this shift began in the mid-twentieth century, and now something has broken. Back then, it was a refuge for young people who were poor yet talented, creative, with a passion for life. Now that is all gone, and I am infinitely sorry.»
